US markets opened higher on Friday, with investors weighing a week of mixed economic signals and earnings reports. In the early hours of trading, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (.DJI), declined 47.11 points, or -0.11%, to 44,437.18, the S&P 500 (.SPX) gained 14.75 points, or 0.23%, to 6,312.11 and the Nasdaq Composite (.IXIC), gained 71.68 points, or 0.34%, to 20,958.69.

Quarterly earnings reports released this week have outperformed Wall Street forecasts, boosting investor sentiment. So far, around 50 companies in the S&P 500 have posted results, with 88% surpassing analysts’ expectations, according to FactSet.

Economic data released Thursday also pointed to continued US strength. The Labor Department reported 221,000 initial jobless claims for the week ending July 12, a drop of 7,000 from the previous week. Meanwhile, June retail sales climbed 0.6% from May, outpacing the 0.2% increase projected by the Dow Jones consensus, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Norfolk Southern shares rose 2.77% following a Wall Street Journal report that the company is in acquisition talks with Union Pacific, whose shares dipped slightly. 3M beat second-quarter earnings estimates and raised its full-year profit forecast, supported by cost-cutting and a focus on high-margin products, with shares edging up.

Charles Schwab also exceeded earnings expectations, pushing its stock up 4.4%, while Ally Financial topped forecasts on strong auto-loan originations, though its shares slipped slightly. American Express beat estimates and reaffirmed its annual outlook as affluent customers kept spending, yet its shares dropped 2.29%. GSK rose fractionally after the FDA advisory panel voted against approving its cancer drug Blenrep.

Netflix beat expectations and raised its full-year sales outlook but warned of a weaker second-half operating margin, leading to a 4.62% drop in its stock. Interactive Brokers surged 8.88% after posting strong results, and Bank OZK climbed nearly 2% on higher-than-expected net interest income and EPS.

Amazon announced layoffs in its cloud division, though shares rose slightly. Chevron gained about 1% after prevailing in a dispute with Exxon Mobil over Hess’s Guyana oil assets, clearing the way for its $53 billion acquisition of Hess. Meanwhile, Sarepta Therapeutics plunged nearly 18% after BioCentury reported a patient death linked to acute liver toxicity during a Phase 1 trial.